As we did in 2010 and 2011, Mike, WB8BZK, and I took the CoROVERolla
on a "Run and Gun Limited Rove" travelling just over 1600 total miles
with 15 Grids visited during the contest time.

With help from the N2MH RoveSite Locator web pages, some info that
W1RT had shared with me and my own searching with heywhatsthat.com,
I was able to find some spots fairly close to the FN10/11/20/21 Grid
Corner near Hazleton, PA. That's where we started, having driven
over 700 miles from my home QTH on Friday afternoon/evening and on
Saturday before the 1800Z start time of the contest. Just in time
for the rain and thunderstorms.

At these first four stops near Hazleton, 111 QSOs were racked up
before heading SW on I-81 where another 14 QSOs were added while
mobile in FN10 thanks to having Mike being THE driver. One
additional QSO was made from FM19 before we stopped for the
evening.

On Sunday morning, Mike strapped into the driver's seat again and
aimed the CoROVERolla west, toward the "Big Mountain" site in the
McConnelsburg/Fort Loudon area as a planned stop. We actually made
a number of QSOs from FM19 while en route. Once we got to Big
Mountain, we met Brian, N3IQ/R, and John, KD4BKV, there. Brian was
roving with his multi-band station and John was set set up for
portable operating with a nice stack of yagis for the bottom 4
bands. QSO total from FM19 was 51.

After climbing back down from the "Big Mountain" perch, we headed
west toward Breezewood into FM09, then FN00, back into FM09 and
into FN00 again with a few QSOs here and there as the route zig-zagged
back and forth across 40 degrees north latitude. This was followed
by a stop in Bedford where we tried to find what looked like an
accessible high spot in FN00ra just southwest of town. The search was
unsuccessful...the site may very well have been there but road
access was not to be found. After a stop for lunch and gas, Mike
guided the CoROVERolla on to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, initially
in FN00. While moving, I found N3HBX on 50 MHz but the turnpike
crossed into FM09 before we could QSY to 144 MHz (and I hope John
logged the QSOs that way ;-). Continuing westbound on the turnpike
brought us to the Allegheny Tunnel; of course this was just as I
found W3SO to work on 50 MHz and we were unable to complete prior
to entering the tunnel. The W3SO operator was still there on the
'other side' of the tunnel and we were able to complete the QSO.
The route continued on the turnpike, crossing back into FN00 for
one last time and on to the New Stanton exit where I-70 separates
from I-76. We continued west on I-70 finally departing FN00 near
Bentleyville, PA. With the focus on moving, QSO counts for FM09
and FN00 were low, 8 and 16, respectively.

Entering EN90, it seemed like the bands 'died'. We continued
westbound, finally departing Pennsylvania, into West Virginia and
then Ohio but had not made a QSO for almost two hours until WM8I
answered a CQ on 2 meters. Three additional QSOs were completed
from EN90 for a total of 4.

Our route took us south of 40 degrees north latitude again, now into
EM99 where three QSOs were completed while mobile. Four more QSOs
(including three with K8TQK) were made during a 30 minute stop at a
high spot just south of I-70 near New Concord, OH, for a total of
seven QSOs from EM99.

Back to I-70 westbound, we transitioned into EM89 where one of the ops
at N8ZM was found for QSOs across the 4 bands while Mike kept the pedal to the metal and I 'drove' the microphone. I also found N8XA for two
Qs (50 & 144), three with W3SO (50, 144 & 222) and linked up with K8TQK for all four bands as Mike kept the CoROVERolla rolling.

With a 'captive audience' of K8TQK and N8ZM, we decided to hop up to
EN80 and EN70 at the EM79/89/EN70/80 Grid Corner about 16 road miles off of I-70 a little NW of Springfield, Ohio. That detour yielded ten
QSOs from EN80 and eight QSOs from EN70 but took about 90 minutes
(though part of that time was to fill the gas tank in the CoROVERolla).

Leaving the area of the grid corner, we entered EM79 for the first time.
Traversing EM79 took just under two hours (but that included a 10 minute
necessary stop) to go 116 miles and yielded 12 more QSOs.

Just east of Indianapolis, we entered EM69. Another six QSOs during were completed during the half hour it took to transit through the grid from
I-70 via I-465 and I-865 to I-65.

When we transitioned from EM69 to EN60, it was just before 0200Z, barely an hour before the end of the contest BUT it was 85 miles to the 41st parallel and EN61. We weren't going to make that but several of the
familiar stations from when we rove around Chicago area were on the air
and 15 QSOs were completed as we headed north on I-65. That ended up
as a nice finish to the contest with ten of the QSOs also being new
band multipliers and I'm guessing the EN60 might have been unique for
many of them as well.

While quite a bit of driving (should I tag Mike with the last name
Andretti?), it was FUN and "we" (mostly >I<) enjoyed making QSOs with
quite a different population of stations.

SO...what will be our route in 2013?

Thanks to all who were on for the contest and to those who have read this.

Thanks to ARRL for sponsorship and support of this and all ARRL
Radiosport events.

73, JK